A Blank Slate
Updated: Sep 15
It's about 3 in the morning; there's sparsely any cars along Euclid Avenue. Under the cover of darkness, illuminated only by a distant street light, an artist goes to work. His work won't be seen until morning, and it may not last for very long, but that's alright with him.
He goes by Boomer, or Boom. He's been a graffiti artist in Syracuse for a few years now. He started in a sketchbook, working his way up to tagging spots around the city, and now, he's part of a crew of graffiti artists.
In a city where Vacant's eyes watch over passing cars, Boomer says the community he's found has given him new friends and made him more creative.
A changing landscape
The I-81 Viaduct is a haven of graffiti -- but with the ongoing project that is set to take down the viaduct and replace it with a community grid, years of graffiti may dissapear.
If you ask Boomer, that's part of the charm of his art form; it will be replaced and removed, but it will always come back. The I-81 Viaduct Project is creating a blank slate graffiti artists are eyeing hungrily.
The Highway's Decor
Get on to Highway 690 and drive. Keep and eye out as you pass under bridges and past concrete barriers. If you do, you'll notice a community thriving, but unseen.
Boomer says the Syracuse graffiti scene is pretty diverse -- artists who have been tagging spots for decades collaborate with younger artists still finding their style. Community is emphasized and quarrels between artists are relatively few. There are rules (don't tag over someone else's work) and less-followed guidelines (don't tag in a cemetery) -- a makeshift "code" artists adhere to.
In a time when uncertainty and change are prevalent in the region, there's a sense of stability driving past a familiar tag, or seeing a reoccuring sketch. There's art everywhere in Syracuse -- in its museums, in its murals, but also on its walls, billboards, and traincars. Artists like Boomer see graffiti as a way to both express themselves creatively while creating art for others to see and enjoy.
The risk of getting caught? That's an added bonus.
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